John Kerry’s response to Ukraine invasion: ‘I hope President Putin will help us to stay on track with respect to what we need to do for the climate’

John Kerry cautioned Wednesday that Russia’s war on Ukraine will distract the international community from one of the Biden administration’s top national security priorities: climate change.

The former secretary of state and current U.S. special envoy for climate was discussing Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine during an interview on BBC Arabic when he said the war will have “massive emissions consequences” for the entire world.

“I’m very concerned about, I’m concerned about Ukraine because of the people of Ukraine and because of the principles that are at risk, in terms of international law and trying to change boundaries of international law by force. I thought we lived in a world that had said no to that kind of activity. And I hope diplomacy will win,” Kerry said.

“But massive emissions consequences to the war but equally importantly, you’re going to lose people’s focus, you’re going to lose big country attention because they will be diverted and I think it could have a damaging impact,” he continued. “So, you know hopefully President Putin would realize that in the Northern part of his country, they used to live on 66% of the nation that was over frozen land.

“Now it’s thawing, and his infrastructure is at risk. And the people of Russia are at risk,” he added. “And so I hope President Putin will help us to stay on track with respect to what we need to do for the climate.” – READ MORE